12-25-2016 Weekly Message

Meditations of the Week: Psalms

Text: Isaiah 9: 1-7

The title of the Word: Jesus as the King of the Jews when he was born; King of Kings and Lord of Lords through his death

             The prophet Isaiah prophesied that a true hope would be revealed to the Israelites who lived in agony and suffering for 1,500 years. Indeed, they testified that forever in ever-hopeless despair they would see a great light in their work. He testified that God increased the number of them, but did not increase the pleasures on the contrary. If they were numerous and had many joys, they could not find the true joy of looking at the eternal promise of God for pleasure on the earth. Even today, for Christians God not increase pleasure, for  when they have too much pleasure of the earth, they tend to follow the lust of the flesh instead of the inheritance in heaven for them.

           God has not increased the pleasure of the people of Israel according to the testimony of Isaiah, but tells them that when their Messiah comes, they will seize all the possessions of all the nations of the world and enjoy the same joy as when they harvest. They also say that they will rejoice when it comes to their rejoicing, when their Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, will judge all the nations that have afflicted them. About the judgment of the Lord prophesied by prophet Isaiah:

 ” For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian. For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire“(Isa. 9: 4-5).

          In other words, the Lord is saying that there will be tremendous disastrous slaughter when he fight all the nations in Armageddon. Isaiah testifies,  he will pay the last battle to destroy all nations of people as he had destroyed the empires of Babylon, Assyria, Medea, Persia, Greece and Rome, and he will finally save Israel, who repent and return to the Lord.

         This is how the God who fights for them has spoken beforehand that he will be born as a child. It also says that there will be a government on the child’s shoulders. Also, the child will be their king in the future. Also, the Holy Spirit spoke clearly through Isaiah concerning of the child as Wonderful, Counseller,  the Mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, that is, the LORD is their Lord God. He also tells King David that as he promised that his throne will be forever, he will establish a kingdom in their land and will sit on David’s throne himself and will reign forever and ever, when real world peace comes. Isaiah also testified that all this work would be done by the zeal of the Lord God.

            Seven hundred years after the prophet Isaiah prophesied, God was born in Bethlehem, Judea, in the name of Jesus. When he was born, a few shepherds went and worshiped, but no one knew that Jesus was the Lord God  who was born as the King of the Jews. Finally, one day after about two years, the wise men from the east appeared on the land of Judea after a long journey of two years. God opened his mouth to fulfill the words of the prophet Isaiah: ” Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.” (Matthew 2: 2)

            King Herod, who had been the King of the Jews sponsored by Rome, who oppressed Israel at that time, thought to kill him when he heard knowing  he was not a Jew of Jacob’s descendant, but a son of Esau, not the true King of the Jews. When he found out that Jesus were born about two years ago, he ordered to kill the children under the age of two who were born in Bethlehem and all around areas. But before that happened, God led the child Jesus, the King of the Jews, to Egypt through the angel of the Lord.

          We can again see that God is the one who fulfills exactly what He spoke through the prophets. The prophet Isaiah prophesied that a child would be born not telling us that a baby would be born. In order to fulfill the words of the prophet Isaiah, God waited until Jesus became to be  two years old, and when he finally became a two-year-old child, he led the eastern wise men to reach the land of Judaea. Matthew testifies:

“And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.” (Matthew 2:11)

             Besides the wise men of the east, two other Jews believed that the Messiah would be born a child, and God gave them a blessing to hold the child Jesus  in their old age. One is “Simeon” and the other is “Anna”. Luke put the words of their joy in the Bible:

 And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him. And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. “(Luke 2: 25-35).

” And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem. “(Luke 2: 36-38).

             When Jesus began his ministry, he told most Jews who did not know who he was, that they should search the scriptures and said that the scriptures are the  testimony of himself. But the Jews did not study the prophesied words of the prophets about Jesus, their Messiah, to come, so they could not know the baby Jesus was born in Bethlehem. The scribes who were studying the Bible knew of him, but did not worship him.

           Now the Lord Jesus Christ, who is neither a baby nor a child, will appear as the King of kings, Lord of Lords. In addition, he will appear in the air in secret to take his children. Today, we can see  man like King Herod in ancient times in Rome. There are also many theologians and his servants, such as the scribes who lived under the King Herod. In the last day before the Lord’s return, those that are as a few  wise shepherds, eastern wise men, and Simeon and Anna, are waiting for the Lord Jesus Christ, searching the Scriptures in detail,  and waiting for the Lord Jesus Christ  who will judge the whole world to set the kingdom in heaven and on earth. Amen! Hallelujah!